Here are three things we learned from the Eastern Illinois game, two questions we have moving forward and one bold prediction about the future as the Wildcats prepare to hit the road and face new Big Ten member Washington.

1. Lausch settled in eventually.

The biggest story in Evanston heading into Saturday night was redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch making his first career start. The Chicago native's night started about as poorly as one could imagine. Going into Northwestern's final drive of the first half, Lausch was 3-for-12 passing for 16 yards.

After doing a whole lot of nothing for the first half and looking like another loss to an FCS opponent could be in the cards, Northwestern took over the ball on their own 20-yard line with 1:52 on the clock before halftime. Choosing to be aggressive, offensive coordinator Zach Lujan put the ball in the hands of his new quarterback. Facing third-and-2, Lausch rolled out to his right and found tight end Marshall Lang wide open over the middle of the field for a gain of 19. That play seemed to change both Lausch and the offense as a whole's fortunes for the rest of the night. Lausch completed two more passes on the drive before Joseph Himon II's 32-yard scamper down the left sideline gave the Cats the lead for good.

After finding his confidence to close out the first half, Lausch looked like a new quarterback. The Brother Rice graduate completed all 11 of his attempts after the break for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns- the first two Wildcat touchdowns through the air in 2024.

In total, Lausch completed 20 of 31 attempts for 227 yards and the aforementioned pair of scores while adding 62 yards on the ground. He was the first Big Ten quarterback to hit those marks in his first career start since Justin Fields and Michael Penix Jr. in 2019.

First-half Lausch was alarming for Northwestern's prospects the rest of the season. A handful of throws were low and skipped into the intended receiver's feet. Head coach David Braun chalked up the early struggles to nerves for the new signal caller.

"I think you saw in the first half a first-time starter. A little amped up, aiming the ball a little bit," Braun said about his young quarterback.

In the second half, Lausch turned the page. He was calm, confident and surgical. To top it all off, Lausch didn't turn the ball over once and never put it in harm's way. His only decision making miscue was being pushed out of bounds to create a second-and-15 rather than throwing it away. Braun cited Mike Wright's recklessness as a reason for the change at quarterback and Lausch held up his end of the bargain.

It's only going to get harder for Lausch; there are no more FCS opponents on Northwestern's schedule. But his ability to bounce back and the effortlessness with which he moved the offense, starting with the final drive of the first half, absolutely should give Northwestern confidence they have the right man under center.

2. Cam Porter is Northwestern's backbone.

After being denied a chance to steal a game for Northwestern in Week 2, fifth-year senior running back Cam Porter was back to being as reliable as can be on Saturday night. Porter was there whenever Northwestern needed a play, finishing with 15 carries for 77 yards and his third touchdown of the season.

Porter's decisive running style was on display all night against EIU, gashing the Panther defense for chunk runs to keep the Northwestern offense moving. Most of his damage came in the first half when Northwestern needed him most as they struggled to complete a pass, with 58 of his 77 yards coming before the break. Through all the struggles Northwestern has had on offense, Porter has been there for Lujan and his quarterbacks to pick up yards and move the offense.

Redshirt freshman Caleb Komolafe has not hit his stride so far this season and Himon, while talented, is undersized to be an every down Big Ten running back. Porter has been the best thing going for Northwestern's offense by a long shot, and it should be his backfield. With Lausch taking over as a first time starter, being able to count on Porter will be crucial for Northwestern.

3. The defense stays sharp.

Northwestern's defense was the only reason the Cats stayed afloat through two games, and with the offense looking better on Saturday night, the defense still didn't take a step back. For the second time in three games the Cats held an opponent to single digits. The defense's effort was led a dominant run defense. EIU ran for 40 yards on 20 attempts, a paltry two yards per carry.

Some of that was hampered by sack yardage. The Cats continued to hound opposing quarterbacks for three sacks on Saturday night, despite the Big Ten's leader in quarterback pressures Anto Saka being sidelined with an injury. Both redshirt freshman Dylan Roberts and sophomore Michael Kilbane dragged down Eastern Illinois quarterback Pierce Holley for their first career sacks. The Cats' 2023 sack leader, Aidan Hubbard, also got home to Holley to end the Panthers' opening drive of the game.

Junior safety Devin Turner got AC/DC playing over the Martin Stadium speakers with a diving interception in the third quarter for NU's only takeaway of the night. That's three straight games with a takeaway to begin the season for Northwestern, something that has to make Braun and defensive coordinator Tim McGarigle very happy.

Even with the offense showing signs of life under Lausch in the second half, the Cats will still go only as far as their defense can take them in 2024. On Saturday night, they showed for the third week in a row that they are more than up for the task with a third consecutive dominant showing.

1. Can Northwestern take their show on the road?

After opening up with three straight at their temporary home, Northwestern will take the long flight out to Seattle to face new Big Ten member Washington under the lights. Last season, the Wildcats struggled to a 2-4 record in road games away from the now-demolished Ryan Field, but did finish strong by beating Wisconsin and Illinois in their final two tests.

Now, Northwestern faces a unique challenge when they take on the Huskies. Washington was last year's national runner-up, falling to Michigan in the National Championship Game, but this year's Husky squad is almost entirely different from that group. Head coach Kalen DeBoer left to take the head coaching job at Alabama. Heisman runner-up quarterback Penix moved onto the NFL. Joining Penix at the next level are offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, leading rusher Dillon Johnson and top three receivers Rome Odunze, Ja'lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan. Leading tackler Dominique Hampton also moved onto the NFL and star cornerback Jabbar Muhammad transferred to Oregon. Safe to say it's a new operation in Seattle.

The Huskies are now led by former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch. Under center is Will Rogers, who transferred to Washington after a productive career at Mississippi State that saw him become the SEC's all-time leading passer. The Huskies will be coming off a heartbreaking loss to in-state rival Washington State that saw Washington's final drive come up just yards short.

Saturday night will be a real test for Northwestern early in the season. Lausch will be facing a hostile crowd for the first time in his career and NU will be facing a largely unfamiliar opponent. How Northwestern handles this challenge will be telling on how the rest of the season will play out.

2. Can the Cats keep playing clean?

Beating themselves was absolutely Northwestern's biggest problem through two weeks. Not valuing the ball was Braun's main reason for making the switch from Wright to Lausch. Against Eastern Illinois, Northwestern played turnover-free football for the first time all season. Not giving their opponent free possessions or great field position made a huge difference on Saturday. Penalties remained a bit of an issue as NU was flagged six times, but the Cats did a better job of overcoming them than they had in the past. Absent turnovers, the Wildcats would be 3-0 heading into conference play. Valuing the football and playing smart seems like coach speak, but not doing the little things has already cost Northwestern one game this season. Seeing that trend start to reverse itself on Saturday was a welcome sight for everyone in purple.

If Northwestern wants to welcome Washington to the Big Ten with a loss, playing clean and not giving the Huskies anything free will be absolutely imperative. Lausch and the Cats showed they could do it at home against an FCS opponent, but Saturday will be a real test of how much progress Northwestern has made in not being their own worst enemy.

Northwestern will score a touchdown on special teams in 2024.

A Najee Story blocked field goal completely changed the momentum of the game and made it back-to-back weeks Northwestern has blocked a kick or punt. Himon ran a kick back 40 yards before being tripped up and Coco Azema ripped off a 34-yard return in the opener. Special teams is becoming a bit of a strength for Northwestern in 2024. With NU showing a penchant for blocking kicks, Himon and Azema already making big plays in the return game and former All-Big Ten return man AJ Henning lurking on punts, it's just a matter of time before the Cats break through and score a special teams touchdown.

Last year Northwestern scored on special teams when Garner Wallace recovered a fumbled kickoff return against Illinois and ran it back for six. Whether it's off a blocked kick or one of the Cats' trio of dangerous return men breaking one, Northwestern will score on special teams again in 2024.